Your Summer Reading List!

I am a book junkie. I love books and collect them like some women collect shoes. I am especially proud of my extensive collection of Stephen King books (which I have collected since he wrote his first book, Carrie, when I was in junior high.) I own everything he has written, all of which are hard cover, first-edition, with the exception of his first few books, which I have in dog-eared paperbacks.

I also have an extensive horse book collection. This includes my cherished childhood books by Marguerite Henry and C.W. Anderson. I also have my mother’s Walter Farley books, several of which were autographed by him. This was not a chance encounter but rather was arranged by Dr. Jonas Salk. Farley paid a visit to the Watson Home where my mother was a resident and patient of Salk, having contracted polio at the age of 16. She had to leave her beloved horses, farm, and family in McMurray, Pennsylvania, while she was Dr. Salk’s guinea pig for nearly 2 years. Salk arranged for Farley, a favorite author of the era, to visit the residents and made sure that my mother had her books on hand to be signed!

As an equestrian, while I do love to read horse stories, the most recent being Susan Friedland’s book, titled Marguerite, Misty and Me, I cannot get enough of horse books that teach me how to be a better horseman, whether it is a book about nutrition, first aid, management or equine welfare.

Summer is a great time to be reading. Maybe you are chilling by the pool or a lake, holed up in a mountain cabin, or if you are like me, trying to avoid the scorching heat once barn chores are finished and my morning ride is done and cooped up inside the house with the AC running full blast! These are all perfect scenarios to enrich your brain and learning about how you can improve the life of your horse!

Without further ado, here is a list of my favorite books that I think every equestrian should have in their library!

“A Horse By Nature”, written by Mary Ann Simonds, dives deep into the horse-human relationships, how to reduce stress and improve communication, the importance of horse-horse learning, friendships and communication as well as the ethics of horse sports. Part One is a lesson on the wild mustangs that Simonds observed for many years and in Part Two, she discusses the influence of the mustang in today’s domesticated horse. Part Three addresses ethics and welfare of horses in today’s world. The book is enhanced with beautiful and vivid photographs, many taken by the legendary Robert Vavra. I guarantee you that you will learn something new about not only horses, but about how you interact with your own horse.

“No Bored Horses” by Amanda Goble is a book that provides many DIY toys and activities for keeping horses engaged and stimulated. Stalled horses in particular need mental stimulation to prevent them from developing vices, and we now know that interaction with our horses while at liberty strengthens the horse-human bond.

In her book “Horse Brain, Human Brain,” author Janet Jones describes how human and equine brains work together, and shows readers how horses learn, think, perform and perceive, and how humans can work with the horse’s brain instead of working against it. How horses see, learn, what they fear, how they trust and focus are topics discussed from both horse and human perspectives.

The Essential Hoof Book, written by Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline. This loose-ring book thoroughly explains the mechanisms of the hoof and discusses lameness issues, and management of the horse’s feet. There are hundreds of full color photographs as well as do-it-yourself exercises that will enable horse owners to keep completely understand how the hoof works and how to keep their horse sound. The book is easy to understand, with causes, treatments, and prevention of common issues of the hoof discussed. This book will enable the reader to make informed decisions regarding the care of their horse’s hooves.

These are just a few of my favorite books. These sit out on my desk for easy reference.

What are your favorite books? Let me know on my FaceBook page!

Next week there will be no blog, as I transition to writing a blog every other week. Look for my next blog on Friday, June 21.

The book Common Sense Horse Keeping is ahead of schedule and my publisher will be announcing a release date soon. Everything has gone very smoothly, from editing to formatting to cover design! The book has been formatted for both e-book and soft cover and all that is left to be done is to await our Library of Congress Control number! Please find me on FaceBook and Instagram at Common Sense Horse Keeping and follow for upcoming contests, cover reveal and more fun things, all related to my book release!

Happy Reading!